Utseya elated by win but remains wary of wounded Windies
GEORGETOWN, Guyana (CMC) — Zimbabwe captain Prosper Utseya was beaming with pride after his team completed their second consecutive victory over West Indies on Thursday.
Zimbabwe held their nerve at the death to come out winners by two runs in tense finish at the Guyana National Stadium.
“I am proud of the guys. They are very happy with their performance. It is important that we keep that flag flying high for our country and give them something to smile about,” Utseya told reporters.
“It is important that we don’t get too excited with these two victories because there are still four more games to go and we believe West Indies will come hard at us the next time.”
Batting first after winning the toss, Zimbabwe posted 254 for five from their 50 overs. Opener Vusi Sibanda led the way with a fighting 95, while Tatenta Taibu weighed in with 56 off 54 balls.
They defended the total through the efforts of their four spinners and Utseya attributed the win to a team effort, while noting there was still room for improvement.
“We sit down and do our homework. We try and focus on our strengths. Our strength is bowling spin,” he said.
“Even if we are playing Sri Lanka tomorrow, we will still use our spinners because we believe that is where our strength lies.”
As the pressure mounted in the closing stages, Zimbabwe maintained their focus to prevail.
“They (West Indies) needed six runs an over. We knew that we needed a wicket. If we got a wicket, it won’t be as easy for the guy coming in next. We just kept calm,” Utseya said.
The two teams meet in the second match of the series today at the Guyana National Stadium.